Heroes: A Late Father's Day Post

This past Sunday, I had several thoughts on my mind that I wanted to post for Father's Day. So, when Sunday came and went and I hadn't had a chance to post, I was a little disappointed. However,  since then, I've been thinking...

Why do we have to save our thoughts and feelings about our fathers or mothers for a special day?

So, in spite of the fact that Father's Day has passed, I have decided that today is not too late for me to share my thoughts.

This Father's Day, my thought patterns were a little bit different than they have been in years past. Yes, I thought about my Father, and even though I didn't get to be with him this year, I did let him know how much I love him and how grateful I am to have him as a father. However, this year, I mainly thought of my Dad in regards to his relationship with my youngest brother.



Dad and D, riding go carts!



My youngest brother is such a blessing to our family. He is so smart and thoughtful and loving (even though he can be a little headstrong at times)! He was an unexpected surprise addition to our family, but not in the way that you would think. He was no accident! D (as I will refer to him) was actually born to my troubled cousin, but she abandoned him when he was just several months old. Through various other circumstances and events, my parents eventually gained full custody of D, and at about 10 months old, he became a permanent member of our family.



Me and chunky, baby D



As D grew up, my parents, at first, struggled with what he should call them. His biological parents would pop in and out of his life on occasion, and my parents didn't want him to be confused. However, D just wouldn't call them Mimi & Pawpaw like they had wanted him to. It was just so natural for him to call them Mom and Dad, and why wouldn't he? They truly filled those roles in his life.



My other brother L, Dad, Mom and D

I have often heard it said that any man can father a child, but it takes a real man, someone special, to truly be a daddy. Well, my Dad is a daddy to D! My parents both have that special ability to take someone into their lives and be just what they need, whether that's a parent, a friend, or a mentor. My Mom and Dad welcome people into their lives with open arms, just as Jesus did, and I admire the fact that they did not hesitate to step in and be what D needed them to be!

What an amazing example of how our heavenly Father operates! No matter where you've been, He will take you in, and no matter what, He does not hesitate to be exactly what you truly need in your moment of desperation.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.                         

1 John 3:1 NLT

You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”   

Luke 11:11 NLT

  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.                                             

Romans 8:14-16 NASB

 ⁵ And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,
   “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
      and don’t give up when he corrects you.
 ⁶ For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
      and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
 ⁷ As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? ⁸ If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. ⁹ Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

                                       Hebrews 12: 5-9 NLT 

Several years ago, Mr. The King and I heard a bluegrass song that reminded us of my parents and the sacrifices that they have made to raise D and give him a good home. We gave them a CD with that song on it, and they were both moved to tears. What was truly amazing was that at the age of 6, D loved that song and had practically memorized every line of it. He sang along perfectly when it played on the stereo, and he could also be heard singing it around the house or in the bathtub. I'm not sure if he truly understood the words, but he touched my parents heart every time they heard him sing it! 

This song means so much to my parents, and for many reasons, it means a lot to me as well!

Heroes by The Isaacs

Momma combs his hair and Daddy helps him brush his teeth

 Day after day for thirty years the same routine

The special needs he lives with make life seem so unfair

But he thanks God every day cause he knows Mom and Dad are there

 He's a hero and she's a hero

It doesn't matter if nobody knows their name

They keep on giving to make life worth living

 Might go unnoticed but they're heroes just the same

They tried for many years to have a baby of their own

 But God knew a little girl who didn't have a home

Someone else's burden was their blessing in disguise

And now she's got a Mom and Daddy there to hold her when she cries

 He's a hero and she's a hero

It doesn't matter if nobody knows their name

They keep on giving to make life worth living

 Might go unnoticed but they're heroes just the same

Every single parent who must carry twice the load

And those who sacrifice to raise a child that's not their own

They dedicate their time to make a difference in someone else's life

And in my eyes

 He's a hero and she's a hero

It doesn't matter if nobody knows their name

They keep on giving to make life worth living

 Might go unnoticed but they're heroes just the same

They might go unnoticed but they're heroes just the same.

With all of their biological children now grown and living away from home, my Mom and Dad are still in the thick of it, raising D as if he were their very own child (and to all of us he is). If that doesn't make them "Heroes," then I don't know what does!

I am blessed to have an earthly father and mother who are godly and compassionate. My Dad works so hard to take care of and provide for his family as best he can, and I am so grateful for the "Hero" that he is! However, in my limited human thinking , it makes more sense and comes more naturally for me to put my trust in my earthly father instead of my Heavenly Father. Still, I know that we have a trustworthy Heavenly Father who is full of grace and mercy, and He takes all of our fears and doubts away, if we will only trust in Him. You and I must remember that He loves and cares for us exponientially more than anyone on this earth is capible of! 

Abba! Father! I will listen to your voice. I will trust you to take care of me, and I will lean on you for strength in my time of need. My earthly father will let me down at some point in my life, but You, O Father, will always hold me up and make me victorious in the end!

Praise the Lord!

   How joyful are those who fear the Lord
      and delight in obeying his commands.
 Their children will be successful everywhere;
      an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.

  ⁶Such people will not be overcome by evil.
      Those who are righteous will be long remembered.
 ⁷ They do not fear bad news;
      they confidently trust the Lord to care for them..

 Psalms 112:1-2, 6-7 NLT